September 26, 2013

01 Nov, 2026

I’m not in the shut-down-the-government crowd. I’m in the take-over-the-government crowd.

— Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), quoted by the New York Times.

Live, From Whoville …

September 26, 2013 Buck Banks

You’ve got to hand it to “Tailgunner” Ted Cruz,
He bloviated 21-plus hours in his running shoes.
His wasn’t the longest,
Most important or strongest,
But he’s the only filibusterer to quote Dr. Seuss.

Cruz’ Blatherbuster Only Fourth Longest in Senate History

September 26, 2013 Buck Banks

filibusters_longest1-800x662 — Chart by the Associated Press

It should be noted that “Tailgunner” Ted Cruz’ marathon was not technically a filibuster, since it was not delaying a Senate vote.

Cruz’ Blatherbuster Amounted to 76,000 Words — Including ‘Green Eggs & Ham’

September 26, 2013 Buck Banks

76,427

Number of words in the transcript of Sen. Ted Cruz’s marathon speech, counting questions from other U.S. senators and including his dramatic rendition of “Green Eggs & Ham.”

Day: September 26, 2013

Buzzfeed Video: ’11 Ways to Piss off a Canadian’ – But Would It Work on Ted Cruz?

Alexander Wants to Take It Over, Not Shut It Down

I’m not in the shut-down-the-government crowd. I’m in the take-over-the-government crowd.

— Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), quoted by the New York Times.

Live, From Whoville …

Cruz’ Blatherbuster Only Fourth Longest in Senate History

Cruz’ Blatherbuster Amounted to 76,000 Words — Including ‘Green Eggs & Ham’

76,427

Number of words in the transcript of Sen. Ted Cruz’s marathon speech, counting questions from other U.S. senators and including his dramatic rendition of “Green Eggs & Ham.”

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“One woman at a rally in New Jersey told me last week that she was ‘nauseously optimistic.’ That may capture a lot of people’s last-minute jitters.”

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), quoted by Axios, on what Democrats feel ahead of the midterm elections.

“I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace’s bathroom.”

— Former President Bill Clinton, quoted by The Wrap.

“Boy, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel. It feels like a real desperation play to me, because it has got zero basis in the law.”

— Republican election law expert Ben Ginsberg, quoted by Politico, on the Trump administration’s effort to invalidate Alaska’s election results.

Numerati

3,824

$1.4 billion

-35 points

31%

63% to 38%

KFF Poll: “With the 2026 midterm campaigns in full swing and early voting about to begin, there is a wide enthusiasm gap between partisan voters, with Democratic voters 25 percentage points more likely than Republican voters to say they are ‘more motivated’ than usual to vote (63% vs. 38%).”